Little To Say

It has been a quiet week here at Heart House. Routine tasks with only a few side projects were the norm.

I continued my twice-weekly physical therapy and my range of motion is improving, but I still have a long way to go. However, since I am in Cresco twice weekly for therapy, I stop at the Fareway grocery store and pick up any needed supplies. The last time home I took the new detour; it will add at least 10 minutes to the commute and is about 5 miles longer than the regular route. The detour is on gravel roads which means the car will get pretty dirty with spring rains in the forecast. I start driving the detour regularly next week.

Medically, Pam is doing OK with follow-ups on her kidney stone condition. The doctor wants her to stay on meds into April, then go in for an X-ray to see if the stone is still in place or if it has passed through. If still in place, non-emergency surgery is scheduled for May 1.

Pam has been working on a plan to remodel the parlour and has received wallpaper samples she ordered. (See below.) Also, as an addition to sleeping capacity in the guest bedroom, I spotted a twin bed frame on Facebook Marketplace last weekend. After a successful negotiation, we took a field trip to Stewartville, MN on Monday to pick it up. So, several home projects are in the mix.

Yesterday’s forceful Spring storm left us with a trace of snow this morning, but before that we had thunderstorms and some hail. Happy April Fool’s Day to us!

The past week reinforces the rural character of our NE Iowa setting. We received the last of our contracted-for propane, 202.2 gallons. We hope this takes us through the summer, as a “summer fill” [usually in August] is always the lowest price of the season. I did not take a photo of our delivery but here’s a typical sample from the internet.

I went to a garage sale in the country near Elma, and was surprised to see numerous Mennonite carriages parked on the road and drive. I didn’t think to take photos of this (my bad), as a visual would have made this post more interesting. However, here is a photo of a carriage going past our home on Main Street back in 2021.

My garage sale spend was $2.00 for a non-working Makita battery-powered craft saw and charger. New batteries are on order and I hope the saw works OK once they arrive. Pam would like to try using it for some summer craft projects she has in mind.

So, aside from PT in Cresco, propane delivery, yard sale, and some work on the guest bedroom and other project planning, it was a relaxed retirement week. The coming week may be somewhat more exciting, as we are expecting a roofing contractor to be here on Monday, looking over the tower and – hopefully – giving us an estimate once he has seen the scale of the work.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Penny

Well, the samples arrived and left me more confused than before on the way forward with the wallpaper. The first sample (on left in green) is an art deco print with a HUGE scale, so that’s out. The second (middle) sample is a Victorian print that is anything but restful – probably too much. The final sample has a better scale, but may not be dramatic enough – too little? The jury is still out. Pondering. (No rush.)

Happy Trails.